We all knowthat the Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year, began on Feb. 7 and that New Year’s festivities go on until the 15th of the first lunar month, when the moon is brightest. People in China take a few weeks off from work to celebrate the new year. And, of course, the Chinese attribute animals to years because, according to legend, when Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on New Year’s, 12 animals showed up. He proclaimed that those born in each animal’s year would share the animal’s personalities.
Most of us in the U.S. refer to the Lunar New Year as the Chinese New Year, and the role that the Lunar New Year plays in other countries often goes unacknowledged.
For the Hmong, Lunar New Year is a time for eating a lot and setting up friends and relatives with potential marriage partners. Unmarried women dress in decorative outfits and play traditional games like “toss ball” with the men. Many courting songs are sung.
In Thailand, Lunar New Year is celebrated with a water splashing ritual. Family members anoint each other with perfumed water. Old folks ask the younger generation to forgive them for harsh words and gestures. Then strings are tied around wrists as part of a prayer.
In Vietnam, the Lunar New Year is called “Tet Nguyen Dan,” and celebrated with gifts of fruit, cakes and money. Lunar New Year in Vietnam is jovial, because it is believed that what you do in the first few days of the celebration sets the tone for the rest of the year.
In Cambodia, Lunar New Year means three days praying at the temple, where people also engage in tug-of-war type games and build a sand mountain. People wash Buddha statues with perfumed water and then wash themselves, as a way to christen the new year.
In Singapore, people take a week off from work to visit family and friends. Since half of Singapore is Chinese, Lunar New Year celebrations are close to the kinds of celebrations held in China.
Many Asian countries interpret the lunar calendar differently, so the dates of celebration depend on what system they use. In India, Lunar New Year happens in October or November. Homemade sweets are traded, and people engage in half-hour prayer services. The Lunar New Year in India is called “Diwali,” and it’s the most widely celebrated festival on the Hindu calendar. In Cambodia, it doesn’t happen until mid-April.
Japan celebrates the Lunar New Year on Jan. 1 because they adopted the Gregorian calendar during the Meiji era, around 100 years ago, under the influence of the West. The Japanese pound rice, do housecleaning, visit relatives and bosses, and make special foods, just as they did when they were on the lunar calendar.
It’s true that many Asian countries like Korea don’t really celebrate Lunar New Year. Koreans celebrate New Year’s based on both the lunar and solar calendars, so not much weight is placed on either.
All these Asian countries have their unique ways of celebrating Lunar New Year, and we should honor and observe them all.